The Comfort of Rationalizations
Humans are creatures of habit. We cling to tradition and often resist change, even when our values and actions are at odds. Many people love animals and don’t want to see them suffer, yet they continue to eat meat, dairy, and eggs. To resolve this inner conflict, we turn to rationalizations that soothe our conscience. Labels like “cage-free” or “humane” give the illusion of compassion, offering comfort without requiring change.
The Rise of Humane Labels
Hope Bohanec, founder of Compassionate Living and longtime activist, has spent more than 30 years investigating the truth behind these labels. When she first began her research, she assumed she might find small improvements, perhaps cage-free was “better,” even if not ideal. Instead, she discovered that the cruelties of animal agriculture are built into the system itself. Practices like separating mothers from babies, painful mutilations without anesthesia, and slaughter at a young age cannot be eliminated without destroying profitability.
Her first book, The Ultimate Betrayal, became the first to expose humane washing in depth. She later 
expanded the conversation in The Humane Hoax, an anthology of 18 voices that reveal how little these labels actually change for animals.
Greenwashing and the Climate Crisis
The deception doesn’t stop at humane labels. Industries also rely on “green” labels to calm consumers worried about climate change. Words like “sustainable” and “organic” are frequently used without meaningful changes to production practices. Studies from Oxford, Harvard, and Washington State reveal that so-called sustainable options like grass-fed beef can actually produce 50–60% more greenhouse gases than conventional methods.
Animal agriculture as a whole remains a leading driver of deforestation, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Compared to plant-based farming, even the best “sustainable” animal products waste far more resources and cause far more harm.
Investigating the Reality
During her early research, Hope visited farms across Sonoma County, including those with humane labels. What she saw told a different story from the marketing. In cage-free facilities, thousands of birds were crammed together in windowless warehouses, breathing toxic ammonia fumes. At a so-called free-range facility, chickens had access only to a muddy 10×10 outdoor pen while lush green grass lay just beyond the fence.
In another case, she saw a dairy cow with a severely swollen leg limping toward water on a farm with a humane label. These experiences underscored the truth: such labels serve consumers, not animals.
Living Vegan: Ethics in Action
For Hope, veganism offers a way out of these contradictions. While modern life makes it impossible to avoid all harm, choosing plant-based foods comes remarkably close. Going vegan reduces suffering, lowers environmental impact, and brings our daily choices into alignment with our values.
Her message is clear: veganism is not just a diet but a philosophy of compassion. By embracing it, we eliminate the need for rationalizations and participate in creating a kinder, more sustainable world.
Moving Forward Together
Hope emphasizes the importance of community and grassroots activism. Through her work with Compassionate Living, the Humane Hoax Project, and the Ahimsa Living Circle, she fosters cultural change that extends beyond consumer habits.
Her advice to those feeling overwhelmed is simple: live vegan. Every step in that direction matters, and every choice contributes to building a future where animals are no longer exploited under comforting but false labels.
Episode Highlights
[00:00] Introduction
[03:00] Humane Hoax.
[06:15] Food labels are meant to mislead.
[08:00] What greenwashing is and why you should care.
[12:15] The bottomline is that animals suffer in our current food system.
[20:00] The role of spiritual values with animal compassion.
[25:00] When you know your why, you know you can never go back.
[28:00] Why community is important with any social movement.
[32:00] The most effective activism is the one that gets done.
[35:45] Veganism is not a diet… plant based eating is.
About Hope Bohanec (she/her), Founder and Executive Director
Compassionate Living was founded by thirty-year career activist Hope Bohanec. Having gathered experience and wisdom about animal advocacy through her long trajectory, Hope participated in important movements in her youth such as Greenpeace and Earth First! as well as organized anti-circus, anti-fur, and anti-vivisection campaigns and protests throughout the 1990s.
In the 2000s, as the movement shifted its focus to animals used for food, Hope shifted from radical, direct action activism to vegan education and compassionate advocacy. Hope spent fifteen years working for the national non-profit organizations United Poultry Concerns and In Defense of Animals and has published two books on the subject of humanewashing and greenwashing: The Ultimate Betrayal: Is There Happy Meat? and The Humane Hoax: Essays Exposing the Myth of Happy Meat, Humane Dairy, and Ethical Eggs. She created and hosts the Hope for the Animals Podcast, now in its third year with downloads on six continents.
She co-founded the Humane Hoax Project, the Ahimsa Living Project, and has organized hundreds of online and in-person events including the Humane Hoax Online Conference, the Humane Hoax Chicken Webinar, the Conscious Eating Conference, and the Sonoma County VegFest.
About Cheryl Moss
Cheryl Moss is the host of the Better Life for Animals podcast, where she shares uplifting stories from sanctuaries and highlights the work of vegan activists, ethical consumers, and animal welfare leaders. A passionate advocate for animal welfare, she is dedicated to ending factory farming and is working to raise $100,000 for Mercy For Animals to support underrepresented sanctuaries.
Beyond podcasting, Cheryl is a banking professional and an accomplished children’s author. A graduate of Main Street Vegan Academy, she promotes plant-based living through her books,
Gabriel, Cluck, and Pickle the Pig, which inspire young readers to embrace kindness, sustainability, and compassion for animals.
When not advocating, she enjoys Pilates, and spending time with her rescue dogs and grandchildren. Through her work, writing, and activism, Cheryl continues to inspire positive change for animals and the planet.
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